Method of taping non-circular coils



Feb. 1, 1966 w. J. CALDWELL 3,232,544

METHOD OF TAPING NON-CIRCULAR COILS I 1 l I l 224 73 22s O 214 238 l 2 2 222 i 314 I 50 l I O ---ms INVENTOR. a} 1 WASHINGTON J. CALDWELL 1966 w. J. CALDWELL 3,

METHOD OF TAPIN'G NON-CIRCULAR COILS Original Filed Oct. 24, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

WASHINGTQN J: CALDWELL ATTORNEYS Feb. 1, 1966 w. J. CALDWELL METHOD OF TAPING NON-CIRCULAR COILS l9 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed Oct. 24, 1958 own man vb mwm INVENTOR. WASHINGTON J. CALDWELL Feb. 1, 1966 w. J. CALDWELL 3,232,544

METHOD OF TAPING NONCIRCULAR SOILS Original Filed Oct. 24, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 5 a! 4 INVENTOR.

WASHINGTON J. CALDWELL ATTORNEYS Feb. 1, 1966 w. J. CALDWELL 3,232,544

METHOD OF TAPING NON-CIRCULAR COILS Original Filed Oct. 24, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR.

5 wAs H meToN J. CALDWELL ATTORNEYS Feb. 1, 1966 w. J. CALDWELL 3,232,544

METHOD OF TAPING NON-CIRCULAR COILS Original Filed Oct. 24, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR. 21:9. 7 wggumemu J. CALDWELL ATTORNEYS Feb. 1, 196 w. J. CALDWELL METHOD OF TAPING NON-CIRCULAR COILS l9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Original Filed 001:. 24, 1958 avg. 55

INVENTOR. WASHINGTON J. CALDWELL BY I 724?, ATTORNEYS Feb. 1, 1966 w. J. CALDWELL 3,232,544

METHOD OF TAPING NON-CIRCULAR COILS Original Filed Oct. 24, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR. WASllINGTON J. CALDWELL ATTORNEYS Feb. 1, 1966 w J CALDWELL 3,232,544

METHOD OF TAPING NON-CIRCULAR COILS Original Filed Oct. 24, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 10 20-! r I 1 l l i I i I I k 7 20+ 374 386 39s a; 19 a; 1a

402 382) 3: 34 4 6 '3 sz ae ,m

..1 I II 7nd ass-M INVENTOR. WASHINGTON J. CALDWELL BY $1 Mimi ATTORNEYS Feb. 1, 1966 METHOD OF TAPING NON-CIRCULAR COILS Original Filed Oct. 24, 1958 l9 SheetsSheet 1 1 INVENTOR. WASHINGTON J. CALDWELL 1956 w. J. CALDWELL 3,232,544

METHOD OF TAPING NON-CIRCULAR COILS Original Filed Oct. 2 4, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 12 IN V EN TOR.

a. 3/ WASHINGTON J.,CALDWEL'L y, BY

ATTORNEYS 1 Feb. 1, 1966 w. J. CALDWELL 3,232,544

METHOD OF TAPING NON-CIRCULAR COILS Original Filed Oct. 24, 1958 19 Sheets-Shea t 14 011m: IN 0) u m T llllliii 368 5 4 INVENTOR. WASHINGTON J. CALDWELL 2' ATT RNEYS Feb. 1, 1966 w. J. CALDWELL 3,232,544

METHQD OF TAPING NON-CIRCULAR COILS Original Filed Oct. 24, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet l5 INVHVTOR. A WASHINGTON J. CALDWELL Feb. I, 1966 w. J. CALDWELL 3,232,544

METHOD OF TAPING NON-CIRCULAR COILS Original Filed Oct. 24, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 16 IN V EN TOR.

W.43 WASLIJNGTON J. CALDWELL 7 ATTORNEYS Feb. 1, 1966 w. J. CALDWELL 3,232,544

METHQD OF TAPING NON-CIRCULAR CQILS Original Filed Oct. 24, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 17 WASHINGTON J. fwu

ATTORNEYS Feb. 1, 1966 w. J. CALDWELL 3,232,544

METHOD OF TAPING NON-CIRCULAR COILS Original Filed Oct. 24, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 18 JNVENTOR. WASHINGTON J. CALDWELL ATTORNEYS Feb. 1, 1966 w. J. CALDWELL 3,232,544

METHOD OF TAPING NON-CIRCULAR COILS Original Filed Oct. 24, 1958 19 Sheets-Sheet 19 To Fluid 2 Pressure WASHINGTON J. CALDWELL (0 RM see 664 662 34 ATTORNEYS United States Fatent G T 3,232,544 METHOD OF TAPING N ON-CIRCULAR COILS Washington I. Caldwell, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to The Electric Auto-Lite (Iompany, Toledo, Ohio, :1 corporation of Ohio Original application Oct. 24', 1958, Ser. No. 769,386, now Patent No. 3,084,879, dated Apr. 9, 1963. Divided and this application Jan. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 182,700

11 Claims. (Cl. 2426) This application is a division of application Serial No. 769,386, filed October 24, 1958, now Patent No. 3,084,879.

This invention relates to taping machines, more particularly to machines for positioning flexible insulating tapes on coils of non-circular conformation for the purpose of insulating these coils for use in electrical devices such as motors and generators or the like.

The problem of insulating coils for use with electrical instrumentalities, particularly when the coils have a noncircular conformation for use with the pole shoes of electric starting motors in the automotive field, has long been a problem with manufacturers of equipment of this type. For many years a cotton tape has been utilized for this purpose, and even though the operation has been partially mechanized, manual manipulation of the coil was necessary by an operator and a very high degree of manual skill and dexterity was necessary to place an even layer of cotton insulating tape on coils of this type. Often training periods of six months or more were necessary to give an operator the degree of skill necessary to obtain an acceptable insulating layer on coils with a fair degree of speed, so that the cost was maintained at acceptable levels. This operation also required a high degree of concentration, so that the job was tiring to an operator with the result that the job was unpopular in production lines and the workers would quit the job as quickly as possible to acquire a new job on production lines where the degree of skill and the need for concentrated effort was not so burdensome. This had the end result that the labor turnover in taping jobs was large and most of the operators were not Working at this job sufiiciently long to acquire the necessary skill, so that the results were not satisfactory and far too costly.

An attempt has been made in the industry to obviate this undesirable situation by using a liquid type of insulation which could be applied by a dipping step and subse quently baked and hardened. This solution was partially successful, but still was too expensive, due to the high initial cost of the materials, and also due to the many rejects arising from uneven application of the insulating materials.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a machine which substantially mechanizes the taping step using the cotton tape as insulating material. The machine of the type disclosed removes the operation of taping coils from a highly skilled manipulation, so that an operator, after a very short period of training, can apply the insulating tape to coils with uniform results and at a speed which substantially lowers the cost of the insulating step. At the same time, the use of the machine obviates the labor problem by making the taping job on the production lines one that requires a much lower degree of skill and concentration, so that an average operator can perform it successfully with a reasonable amount of effort. The job becomes one of loading and unloading coils to and from the machine, with the cotton tape being automatically positioned on the coil by the machine. The use of the machine, which places an even layer of cotton tape on each coil, uniformly from coil to coil, saves a considerable amount of tape to there- 3,232,544 Fatented Feb. 1, 1966 by further reduce the cost, not to mention a better and more uniform insulation for the coils.

It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide a machine which automatically wraps a flexible insulating tape about a toroidal coil which is noncircular in conformation.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method and a machine for taping electric coils of toroidal, non-circular shape, wherein the tape is applied in an even layer with uniform overlap, and wherein the tape is applied in close proximity to the terminal leads.

Other objects and advantages of this invention relating to the arrangement, operation and function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction, to combinations of parts and the economies of manufacture will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the machine as a whole.

FIGURE 1A is a perspective view of a coil on which the machine is adapted to wind tape as an insulation layer. FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the machine. FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the machine taken opposite from the view shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the machine partly in section.

FIGURE 5 is a rear elevational view of the machine. FIGURE 6 is an elevational view partly in section of the winding element.

FIGURE 7 is an elevational view of a portion of the winding element showing the beginning of the winding cycle.

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 7 illustrating a more advanced phase of the winding cycle.

FIGURE 9 is an elevational view taken along the line 99 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURES l0 and 11 are views of a portion of the winding mechanism.

FIGURE 12 is an elevational view taken along the line 1212 of FIGURE 13.

FIGURE 13 is a plan view of the coil holding mechanism.

FIGURE 14 is a View similar to FIGURE 12.

FIGURE 15 is a plan view similar to FIGURE 13.

FIGURE 16 is a plan view partly in section of the coil holding mechanism.

FIGURE 17 is an elevational view partly in section showing one of the vertical spindles on the coil holding mechanism.

FIGURES l8 and 19 are plan views partly in section of the mechanism driving the coil holding device.

FIGURE 20 is an elevational view partly in section taken along the line 20-20 of FIGURE 19.

FIGURE 21 is an elevational view taken along the line 2121 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURES 22, 23 and 24 are elevational views of the mechanism cooperating with the tape for the purpose of gripping its free end.

FIGURES 25, 26 and 27 are elevational views of the mechanism operating the device shown in FIGURES 22, 23 and 24 as shown in its varying positions.

FIGURE 28 is an elevational view of a machine element taken along the line 28-28 of FIGURE 25.

FIGURE 29 is an elevational view in section of a machine element taken along the line 2929 of FIGURE 26. 

1. THE METHOD OF INSULATING TOROIDAL COILS HAVING AT LEAST ONE POINTED TERMINAL PROJECTING OUTWARDLY, COMPRISING WINDING THE COIL AND POSITIONING AN INSULATING STRIP OF PAPER BETWEEN THE TURNS DURING THE WINDING OF THE COIL AND THE TERMINAL AND THE TURNS, APPLYING A TAPE IN OVERLAPPING LAYERS ABOUT THE COIL SIDES BEGINNING BEHIND THE TERMINAL AND CONTINUING AROUND THE COIL IN EVEN LAYERS TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE TERMINAL, AND COMPLETING THE INSULATING WRAPPING BY PIERCING THE TAPE WITH THE POINT OF THE TERMINAL DURING THE WINDING OPERATION.
 6. IN THE METHOD OF WINDING AN INSULATING TAPE IN LAYERS BY MACHINE ON A TOROIDAL COIL MEMBER BY A ROTATING TAPING HEAD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF GRIPPING THE LEADING END OF THE TAPE AND MOVING IT WITHIN THE PERIPHERY OF THE ROTATING HEAD, CUTTING THE TAPE IN TIMED RELATION TO STORE A PREDETERMINED LENGTH OF TAP ON THE HEAD WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY WRAPPING A PORTION OF THE TAPE ON THE COIL MEMBER IN EVEN OVERLAPPING LAYERS, ROTATING THE TOROIDAL COIL MEMBER THROUGH THE ROTATING HEAD WHILE THE HEAD IS WRAPPING TAPE ON THE COIL MEMBER IN EVEN OVERLAPPING LAYERS, RELEASING THE LEADING END OF THE TAPE, CONTINUING THE TAPING OPERATION BY MOVING THE COIL MEMBER AT CONTROLLED VARIABLE SPEEDS THROUGH THE TAPING HEAD IN PROPORTION TO THE CONTOUR OF THE COIL MEMBER AND THE SPEED OF ROTATION OF THE ROTATING HEAD, AND STOPPING THE ROTATING HEAT AT THE POINT OF BEGINNING FOR REMOVING THE TAPE COVERED COIL MEMBER FROM THE TAPING HEAD. 